Review: Creative Halo

In preparation for summer, we evaluated Creative‘s flagship speaker, the iROAR Go, and awarded it high marks. Priced at approximately 1,900 SEK, it represents a significant investment for a portable speaker. However, the iRoar Go delivers exceptional, portable audio with robust bass response, commendable battery life, and water resistance, rivaling leading brands such as Ultimate Ears (UE) and JBL in comparable models. Additionally, we hosted a popular contest during the summer, where Creative’s compact and surprisingly powerful Muvo 2c was offered as the prize. At a price point of around 350 SEK, this speaker provides excellent value, offering acceptable sound quality, microSD card support, and water resistance.

Now that autumn has arrived, the need for enhanced illumination becomes more apparent. Creative addresses this with the new Halo speaker, featuring a prominent LED display. Echoing Microsoft’s renowned game series, the term Halo alludes to a ring, specifically the light ring encircling the speaker. The Halo offers a variety of lighting modes, including synchronized music-reactive patterns, a rainbow spectrum display, or the option to disable the lighting entirely, revealing a glossy mirror surface. Coupled with a stylish suspension cord and textured fabric, the Creative Halo demonstrably earns its place among the most aesthetically pleasing portable Bluetooth speakers. Furthermore, the battery life, rated at approximately eight hours, is respectable.

Consistent with its counterparts, the Halo establishes seamless Bluetooth connectivity with audio sources in a matter of seconds. A dedicated iOS and Android mobile application facilitates control over music playback and the light ring’s behavior. Alternatively, users can select from preset lighting modes directly on the speaker. The Halo readily creates an engaging atmosphere and delivers adequate audio performance, although it does not match the acoustic fidelity of the iROAR Go. The sound profile is characterized by clarity and definition, but exhibits a slightly thin quality with a pronounced emphasis on treble frequencies, where a more substantial bass response would be preferred. At its launch price of approximately 700 SEK, the speaker faces stiff competition in terms of pure audio quality. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, our reference speaker in the sub-1,000 SEK category, is only marginally more expensive, yet provides a noticeably superior listening experience (albeit without the integrated light show).

Two notable omissions are the absence of water resistance, which necessitates increased caution during outdoor use, and the lack of a microSD card reader. The latter provides convenient offline playlist playback capabilities in environments lacking a sound source or internet connectivity. The inclusion of a 3.5mm input, however, seems less relevant in contemporary portable speaker applications. Connecting headphones via a 3.5mm cable would typically involve direct connection to the mobile phone or computer. Furthermore, relying on analog connections hardly seems appropriate for 2017.

Overall, the Creative Halo represents a competent Bluetooth speaker that adds a visually appealing element to social gatherings. However, once the novelty of the LED light ring diminishes, competing speakers offer superior audio performance at a comparable price point, or near-equivalent sound quality with enhanced portability for less. The 700 SEK price tag is somewhat elevated relative to its sonic capabilities. A price adjustment to approximately 500 SEK would more accurately reflect its value proposition, potentially positioning it as a compelling combination of decent sound quality and distinctive aesthetics in the portable speaker market.